Whether you’re looking for a productivity desktop, a gaming PC powerhouse, or a stylish all-in-one Windows machine, we’ve got you covered. We at PCWorld sort through all of the daily computer sales and put together a curated list of the best deals available. But not all deals are really deals, so we only choose those offered by reputable companies and include great hardware to ensure you get the best value for your money.
Currently, we’re seeing killer deals on gaming computers from the likes of HP, ROG Strix, and iBuyPower, as well as all-in-ones from Dell. We’ve also included some helpful answers to common questions about buying a computer at the bottom of this article. If you’re considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals updated daily.
Note: Tech deals come and go quickly, so it’s possible some of these computer discounts will have expired before this article’s next update.
iBuyPower Trace5MR 234i
This iBuyPower Trace5MR 234i comes fully loaded with a Core i7-12700KF, GeForce RTX 3080Ti, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD. They also sweeten the deal with some liquid cooling and tons of RGB lighting. While the 1TB SSD is a bit less storage than you would want at this price point, you can’t argue with that CPU and GPU combo.
HP Pavilion
The HP Pavilion computer has seemingly been around forever. It’s a reliable workhorse that is perfect for a basic family desktop or no-frills personal computer. Inside you get a Core i7-11700, Intel UHD 750 integrated graphics, 16GB RAM, a 256GB PCIe SSD, and a 2TB 7200RPM HDD. With the solid Intel 11th-gen CPU and the massive amount of onboard storage, this is a home office productivity dream. Plus they even throw in a DVD-writer—if you can still find a use for it.
Dell XPS Desktop
The Dell XPS is the tried-and-true workhorse home computer. It has seemingly been around forever and still holds its own as one of the best budget friendly desktop computers. This model is aimed towards gaming and comes with a Core i7-11700, GeForce RTX 3060, 32GB RAM, 512GB PCIe SSD, and a 1TB 7200RPM HDD. This not only has the specs for a great productivity machine, but it can also play most titles at 1080p with 60 FPS. Oh, and it comes with a CD/DVD player if you still have any of those lying around.
Asus ROG Strix G10
This ROG Strix G10 has a unique design that separates components into two isolated chambers to prevent heat exchange. It also comes with a Core i7-11700, GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD. Solid specs for a great 1080p gaming build!
Inspiron 24 Touch
All-in-ones are great for their ease of use and ability to save you precious desk space. This Inspiron 24 Touch comes with a Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB RAM, and a 512GB NVMe SSD. The 23.8 inch touch display is capable of 1920×1080 resolution. Not bad for an all-in-one with decent specs. Plus, if you or someone in your family is looking to game, the Iris Xe integrated graphics is capable of running most games at decent framerates.
HP Omen 45L
HP’s Omen line has some of the slickest looking gaming machines on the market—and they usually back it up with solid components. This excellent deal for the HP Omen 45L comes loaded with a Core i7-12700K, GeForce RTX 3080, 16GB RAM at 3733 MHz, a 512GB NVMe SSD, and a 1 TB 7200 RPM HDD. If you’re looking for a solid mid-to-high range gaming PC for a bargain, it doesn’t get much better than this at the moment.
Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10
The slick and futuristic computers from Alienware are usually worth the high prices, but if you can score one on a deal like this it’s even better. This Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R10 comes with a Ryzen 7 5800, GeForce RTX 3060, a substantial 16GB RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD. Pretty standard fare for an entry level gaming computer, but you can’t argue with the price and you get the build reliability that comes from a company like Dell.
Velztorm Pilum Custom Gaming PC
Velztorm is typically known for building custom gaming PCs, but every now and then you can find a few pre-built models floating around out there. This Velztorm Pilum Custom Gaming PC comes with a Ryzen 7 3700X, GeForce RTX 3060, 32GB RAM, a 512GB PCIe SSD, and a 3TB HDD. Even though it may look like a gaming PC, the specs are actually optimized for creators—32GB RAM and a ton of storage mean video editors and other content creators will get the most out of this model.
ABS Master Gaming PC
Newegg is offering a limited sale on gaming desktops right now and we think this ABS Master Gaming PC represents the best value for the money of the whole lot. It comes with a Core i5-10400F, a GeForce RTX 3060, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB PCIe SSD.
They are offering similar models with a Core i7-10700F for a few hundred dollars more, but the i5-10400F is still an excellent CPU and you won’t notice much of a difference between the two. Opt now for the cheaper 10400F and save the money for a more substantial future upgrade later on.
FAQ
What are good websites to find computer deals?
There are a ton of sites that sell computers, and scouring through all of them would take you a lot of time—that’s why we do it for you here and highlight the best deals we find. However, to save you some time and frustration, you need to be smart about where you look at any given time of the year.
If you’re looking for a new computer during the holidays or around popular sale periods such as Black Friday or back-to-school, then you are likely to find great deals directly through first party vendor websites. These include the retail storefronts of popular computer manufacturers such as HP, Dell, and Lenovo.
However, if you are looking in between sales periods, it’s generally a good idea to search through large third-party retailers such as Amazon, Adorama, Walmart, BestBuy, and Newegg. Oftentimes these websites will offer limited Deals of the Day type sales in hopes of getting rid of excess stock. On the upside, you can score still-decent PCs at a steep discount.
When are the best times to find computer deals?
Generally speaking, the best deals are offered during the big sales events each year. These include Prime day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the back-to-school period, among others. You will typically see the lowest prices of the year for computers during these events.
That being said, there are opportunities to find one-off sales on computers throughout the year from both first- and third-party vendors. These sales are much harder to predict and usually have a time limit, such as one day or one week. Realistically, the only way to find these sales is by checking vendor websites every day.
What specs should I look for in a good gaming computer?
Since desktop computers don’t have the same restrictions on component size or portability as laptops, the price-to-component ratios are mercifully cheaper than they are in gaming notebooks. This means you can get more gaming bang for your buck in a desktop gaming PC.
When it comes to gaming, the two most important pieces of hardware you’ll want to focus on are the CPU and GPU. Think of the CPU as the heart of your computer, ultimately determining how your system will perform when running software. When looking at a computer’s CPU, you should pay attention to the processor core count which usually ranges from two to 16 cores. At a minimum, you will want four cores, but you might be able to get up to eight cores without stretching your budget too much. For high-end systems, you should be looking at between eight and 16 cores. Although even for high-level gaming, having more than eight cores won’t add much benefit.
A good GPU is essential for gaming and it is going to be the component you will want to splurge on the most. For budget gamers a card that offers affordability and ray tracing is the sweet spot. These include the Nvidia RTX 3060 or AMD RX 6600 or 6600 XT. If you want to game in 4K, it is probably best to go with Nvidia’s RTX 3080 or AMD’s RX 6800 XT.
Beyond the CPU and GPU, the other hardware components are less crucial. As for RAM, you should opt for a minimum of 8GB, but ideally 16GB is better—anything over 16GB is largely unnecessary for gaming purposes. RAM is also relatively inexpensive and easy to upgrade if you need more in the future.
For your hard drive, you will want to have at least one SSD, preferably an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD if you can afford it. SSDs are faster than their spinning disc predecessors and will boot your games faster and provide improved load times. Storage size is more of a personal preference. You should consider the types of games you will want to play and how many you intend to download. If you plan to store a lot of games on your computer, then you will most likely want a 1TB or larger drive. Note that it’s not uncommon for modern games to have file sizes over 100GB.
What makes a good home office computer?
A home office computer should fulfill all of the needs you have for your work. If you work with spreadsheets and multiple programs, you will want a good processor. If you are a content creator then you will need lots of RAM and a blazing fast hard drive.
You should also consider other points such as available space and portability. If you are limited on space, you might want to consider an all-in-one which combines the computer component and monitor into one compact unit. If you don’t want to be fixed to one location, then you might consider purchasing a laptop over a desktop. If so, check out our best laptop deals section.
What are the benefits of buying a desktop computer over a laptop?
The main benefit is the cost-to-component ratio. Due to the nature of their use, laptops have design restrictions that desktops simply don’t have. This means you can generally find better hardware in a desktop for cheaper than you can in a laptop.
Desktops also have the unique advantage of being able to pack in better cooling systems. These dissipate more heat and allow your hardware to run more effectively. Also, desktops are easier to upgrade and expand if you choose to do so.
For a more in-depth analysis you can read our 5 reasons to buy a desktop PC instead of a laptop.
Author: Sam Singleton, Assistant Editor
Sam Singleton is a tech editor located in Japan. At PCWorld, he covers productivity software, laptops, and a wide gamut of consumer-grade hardware and software.